Roll-up blinds



Feb- 10, 1959 B. PAGLlAccETTl ET AL 2,872,977

ROLL-UP BLINDS Fil'd Ma 1N VEN TOR` ROLL-UP BLINDs Berardo Pagliaccetti and Domingo Vicente Curzio,

Buenos Aires, Argentina Applicafin May 16, 195s, serial No. 508,746

z claims. (c1. 16o-zzo) This invention relates to a roll-up blind and is a continuation-in-part of our U. S. Patent application Serial No. 423,104,1i1ed April 14,1954, and now abandoned.

An improved roll-up blind has been conceived having a plurality of hollow at members, each flat member having a` substantially main body portion including an outer arm and an inner arm, each arm having ia stop, said arms being substantially,symmetrical with regard to a plane of symmetry, a base portion, said arms being linked to said base portion, a web having a rst end and a second end, said first end being integral with said base portion, said web being located in a plane substantially parallel to said plane of symmetry and adjacent said outer arm, an enlarged portion integral with said second end and having two branches, each branch having a free end, the free ends being located in a iirst plane forming an acute angle with regard to a second plane passing through the stops, said second plane being substantially perpendicular to said plane of symmetry, said at members being connected to each other by endwise insertion of said enlarged portion of one of said flat members between said arms of a next at member, said enlarged portion having a larger cross section than the distance existing between said stops and a smaller cross section than the distance existing between said inner arm and said outer arm.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a light roll-up blind consisting of a plurality of hollow at members, thereby providing a blind of reduced width.

Another object is to provide a blind of the above referred type, in which approximately half of the height of one slat may be housed in the subsequent slat.

Still another object is to provide a blind which requires only an unilateral guide inasmuch as the slat may only swing in one direction with regard to the main plane defined by the unrolled blind.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a blind which, in the closed position, is self-supporting, therefore not necessarily requiring any guide.

Still a further object is to provide an extremely light blind which, however, has a substantially at outside fac whereby the accumulation of dirt is minimized.

Another object is to provide a blind in which the web is located in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of symmetry of the main body portion and adjacent to the outer arm of said main body portion, whereby the diameter of the drum may be considerably reduced, since the relationship between the possible angular displacement of two slats with regard to the center of the drum is increased.

rality of slats which may be extruded in a continuous manner and afterwards cut into segments of suitable length, in accordance with the requirement.

Another object is to provide a blind formed of a plu- ,65

2,872,977 v Patented Feb. 10, 1959 2 In the drawings: Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of the rollice up blind, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of two hollow at members in the closed position of the blind.

It may be seen from the drawing that the blind of the present invention is formed by a plurality of slats or hollow flat members 1, each of which has a substantially U shaped main body portion 2 including an outer arm 3 and an inner arm' 4. Each arm 3 and 4 defining by means of its free end portion a respective arcuate stop 3 andi', hereinafter called outer stop and inner stop, respectively. Said stops 3 and 4' facing each other. Said outer arm 3 and said inner arm 4 are integral with a U shaped base portion 5. A web 6 having a rst end 6 and a second end 6" is connected by means of its first end 6 to the U shaped base portion 5. As may be better Iseen in Fig. 2, the outer arm 3 and the inner arm 4 are substantially symmetrically arranged with regard to a plane of symmetry 7. Said web 6 is located in a plane ,8 substantially parallel to said plane of symmetry 7 and adjacentpto said outer arm 3. More particularly said plane 8 is located between said plane of symmetry 7 and a parallel plane (not shown) passing through said outer arm 3.

The second end 6 of the web 6 is integral with an enlarged semicircular cross-sectional portion 9, having two branches 10 and 11, hereinafter called the outer branch and the inner branch, respectively. Each branch has a free end 10' and 11', respectively, and said free ends 10 and 11 are located, as may be seen in Fig. 2, in a first plane 12 forming an acute angle a with regard to a second plane 13 passing through the stops 3 and 4'. Said second plane 13 being substantially perpendicular to said plane of symmetry 7.

Conveniently each web 6 may be provided with at least one slot 14, to enable the passage of light and air when the blind is in the open position, as is already known, as such, in the art.

Each hollow at member 1 is connected to the next one by endwise slidable insertion of said enlarged portion 9 of one of said at members between said arms 3 and 4 of the next flat member 1, and said enlarged portions 9 having a larger cross section than the distance existing between said stops 3 and 4 and a smaller cross section than the distance existing between said inner arm 4 and said outer arm 3.

It may already be seen by those skilled in the art, that due to the particular arrangement described, the blind of the present invention will have a substantially at appearance from the outside, whether closed (as shown in Fig. 2) or open (as shown in Fig. 1).

Whilst the remaining outstanding features of the present invention could now, once more be specifically described, in view of the simplicity of the present invention it is considered suicient to call the attention to the objects of the present invention carefully pointed out, to note that in fact the blind as described and shown with regard to the accompanying drawings actually fulfills the established conditions.

If desired, the blind may be provided with a threshold member 15 which preferably is a solid member so as to increase the weight. Said threshold member 15 comprises an enlarged upper end 16 which is preferably of cylindrical shape and provided with outwardly projecting ears 17 and 18 defining with said enlarged upper end 16 corresponding grooves into which exactly fit the outer stop v3' and the inner stop 4' whereby said threshold mernfor .limiting the upwardmovements of the Ablind and settling surface 19" for seating on the threshold or the like.

It has to be pointed out that this threshold member 15 is able to perform two .functions by means of its top surface 19 and settling surface 19",.respectively.

y We claim:

1. In a rollfup blind, a plurality of hollow at inembers, eachlllat .member having a substantially U shaped main body portion including an outer -arm andan inner arm, .each arm having a stop, said arms being substan- ,tially the same length and substantially symmetrical with regard to a'plane of symmetry, a base portion, said arms being linked to said base portion, a web having a rst end and a second end, said first end being integral with said base portion, said web being located in a plane substantiallyparallel to and laterally spaced from said plane of symmetry and adjacent saidsouter arm, an enlarged .space between said stops and a smaller cross-section than the space between said inner arm and said outer arm whereby said enlarged portion will be slidably disposed between said arms and the downward movement of said enlarged portion will be limited by said stops and the angular displacement of said flat members when said Aenlarged portion is adjacent said stops will be limited to one rotational direction in which an exaggerated angular displacement is permitted and said blind will present a iat appearance from the outside both when opened and when closed, the free ends of said arms lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to said plane of symmetry whereby said blind will .be self-supporting in its closed position.

2. A roller blind as in claim 1 having a threshold member having an enlarged upper end, `avpair of outwardly projecting ears dening with said enlarged upper end a pair of grooves, said enlarged upper end being housed in one -of said main bodies with the stops thereof tting substantially exactly in said pair of grooves thereby immobilizing said threshold member with regard to said main body.

vReferences Cited in the file of .Vthspatent t ,UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,936,300 Guss Nov. 21, 1933 yFOREIGN PATENTS 587,939 Germany Nov. 11, 1933 415,613 Italy Oct. 21, 1946 957,094 France Aug. 22, 1949 

